Crossovers and SUVs remain the “go to” choices for drivers who prize versatility in a vehicle, and for the best in the business, they’ll have to go to their local Dodge dealership. That’s because the experts at Popular Mechanics recently honored the Dodge Durango with a 2012 Auto Excellence Award for its outstanding versatility.
Consider: On the one hand, the Durango is a highly capable workhorse that’s “able to traverse terrain that would humble most sport utes,” according to PM, and was “used to tow out the other SUVs that got beached” during a recent comparo test on the sand dunes of western Michigan. Yet, at the same time, “it drives with a sharpness that belies its 2½ tons and its commodious interior,” and “on the highway, drivers can luxuriate in the rich materials, throne-like seats and an abundance of available features, including a 360-hp V8 and adaptive cruise control.”
Popular Mechanics also rained kudos on the Durango for its standard Pentastar V6 engine that delivers a best-in-class 290 hp and—thanks to its ability to achieve 23 mpg highway—an unsurpassed driving range of more than 550 miles on a single tank. Notably, that engine proved itself in the real world, too, by enabling PM testers to ring up a mark of 20 mpg in their combined driving—1 mpg better than the Durango’s EPA rating. At the same time, both of the vehicle’s engines also enable best-in-class tow ratings of 7,400 lbs. (V8) and 6,200 lbs. (V6).
Popular Mechanics’ final verdict on the versatile 2012 Durango: “This is one vehicle that really can do it all.”
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